A Brief Description of The Heard Island Project Including the 2014 Cordell Expedition to Heard Island, Territory of Australia Robert W. Schmieder, Ph.D. Version 5.2 15 Oct. 2012 Cordell Expeditions 4295 Walnut Blvd. Walnut Creek, CA 94596 (925) 934-3735 [email protected] www.cordell.org The Heard Island Project Version 5.2 (Latest version at www.heardisland.org) Page 1 of 87 This Document This document provides a brief description of the Heard Island Project, particularly the proposed 2014 Cordell Expedition to Heard Island, Territory of Australia, in the Southern Ocean. It was prepared specifically for the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) in support of an application for a permit to visit Heard Island in the time frame Jan.-Feb., 2014. The material herein was compiled by Dr. Robert W. Schmieder, Director and Expedition Leader for Cordell Expeditions, a nonprofit scientific organization based in Walnut Creek, California. Significant portions of this document were contributed by Christian Janssen, Ken Ehrhart, Dr. Steve Smith, and other members of Cordell Expeditions. Heard Island is managed by the AAD under the Heard Island and McDonald Islands Marine Reserve Management Plan of 2005. The foreword of that plan contains the following statement: This management plan includes measures to ensure that the Reserve’s values are identified, protected and communicated to the public, most of whom will never visit this remote, wild and special place. In particular the Plan includes comprehensive measures designed to prevent the introduction of alien species from human activities, to ensure protection of important terrestrial and marine species, habitats and ecosystems, and to interpret the cultural heritage values associated with 19th century sealing activities and the earliest Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition. The present project has been designed to be in concert with the mission and measures contained within this statement. However, the Management Plan is to be updated during 2012 and as of this writing the Revised Plan is not yet available. When it does become available, this document and the project will be adjusted accordingly. Considerable additional information relevant to the present project can be found in the author’s book VKØIR Heard Island (Cordell Expeditions, 1997), which can be acquired through www.amazon.com, and the VKØIR Participant’s Handbook, a copy of which is in the office of the AAD and can be acquired from the author of this document. It will be seen that a considerable part of the plan for the present project will be very similar to the 1997 project, in particular the extent of planning and preparation, the emphasis on safety and security of the island and its resources, and the extent of documentation. Further information about the project is posted on the project website: www.heardisland.org. This document is in constant revision. For this reason, it is requested that the website be checked for the latest version. It is preferred that questions and/or comments be directed to the author (contact information last page). The Heard Island Project Version 5.2 (Latest version at www.heardisland.org) Page 2 of 87 Contents Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 5 Heard Island .......................................................................................................................................... 6 Operations .......................................................................................................................................... 12 Transportation .................................................................................................................................................................... 12 Landing .............................................................................................................................................................................. 13 Sites ................................................................................................................................................................................... 13 Communication between the sites ...................................................................................................................................... 13 Facilities .............................................................................................................................................. 14 Shelters .............................................................................................................................................................................. 14 Radio antennas .................................................................................................................................................................. 15 Waste and sanitation .......................................................................................................................................................... 15 Conformance ...................................................................................................................................................................... 15 Teardown ........................................................................................................................................................................... 15 Cleanup .............................................................................................................................................................................. 15 Radio Science ..................................................................................................................................... 16 The challenge of Heard Island ............................................................................................................................................ 16 The radio window of opportunity 2014 ................................................................................................................................ 17 Radio science opportunities ................................................................................................................................................ 18 The problem of Big Ben ...................................................................................................................................................... 19 Worldwide VHF and 50 MHz radio operations .................................................................................................................... 20 Radio operations ................................................................................................................................................................ 20 Communications Science ................................................................................................................. 21 Real-time communications ................................................................................................................................................. 21 DXA ................................................................................................................................................................................... 21 Social Networking ............................................................................................................................................................... 23 Educational Collaboration ................................................................................................................................................... 23 Website and webcast ......................................................................................................................................................... 24 Mountain Science ............................................................................................................................... 25 Glaciology .......................................................................................................................................................................... 25 Volcanology ........................................................................................................................................................................ 26 Geomorphology .................................................................................................................................................................. 27 Geology .............................................................................................................................................................................. 27 Mountaineering .................................................................................................................................................................. 28 Biological Science ............................................................................................................................. 29 Marine/Shallow subtidal community .................................................................................................................................... 29 Environmental/Debris ......................................................................................................................................................... 29 Meiofauna/Cryptobiosis and climate change ......................................................................................................................